OVER THE EDGE NEWSPAPER. OCTOBER 27 , 2006 NEWS 5 University Heights: Paradise or Paradox? RORY CONROY STAFF WRITER 674 hectares of urban wilderness on the Cranbrook Hill Escarpment, the Rocky Mountains, cityscapes and vi- brant sunrises versus a rich urban wild- life habitat, home of families of moose, deer, bear, fox, woodpeckers and more. Not a choice that any of us wants to consider, but consider we must. For go- ing before City Council is a proposal for the development of The University Heights Neighbourhood Plan area (UNHP). Abutting the university, For- est for the World, First Nations and private holdings, and resting on environ- mentally sensitive and potentially un- stable ground, this development would forever change the Prince George sky- line. It behooves us to be aware of and become conversant with the issues sur- rounding UNHBP, to become involved and express our concerns and opinions. “The land in question is 30 parcels of various sizes owned by 14 independent owners.’ The proposed development stretches from UNBC to Highway 16. Of the gross area under consideration, 51% (345.83 hectares) is considered deyelop- ‘able, the remainder absorbed by the provision of roads, parks, trails, ripar- ian zones, green space and significant slope. The plan provides a geotechnical overview, but given past exigencies in the design and construction of University Way, considerable more attention must be given to engineering, The public, es- pecially those residents juxtaposed to Area A, must be given assurances that their respective properties will not be negatively affected by development and its aftermath. On the positive side, the plan proposes implementation of a mix of residential, commercial and institutional facilities as well as university services and improved transportation access and links. Using Smart Growth planning principles, the planners will confer with trail and bike enthusiasts, university students, local residents and comply with design guide- lines crafted by city committees and the City of Prince George Official City Plan (OCP). The land in question is 30 parcels of various sizes owned by 14 independent owners. Parceling, that is bringing all of these owners onside in agreement is a major feat in itself. A steering committee of representative members are directing the planning process and with guidance of L&M Engineering Limited, city staff and effected parties have taken part in a planning charette- brainstorming con- cepts, designs and innovation. ‘The undertaking is in its initial stages. Planning, engineering, city approvals, provincial approvals, zoning and re-zon- ing and details too numerous to men- tion must be addressed before-residents will know exactly what will transpire; what will be built and where. The stated planning vision however, provides in- sight into the groups attempt to dove- tail to: the city’s vision. The concept is to be Compact, Connected, Complete and Complimentary; compact provides density options and housing forms; con- nected brings transportation options, public, pedestrian, trails and greenway; complete promotes a mix of land uses enabling people to live, work and play in their neighbourhood; complimentary provides for healthy and safe standards. University students should rally to address these proposals. Student hous- ing, presently at a premium, needs to be discussed and specifically proposed. UNBC may provide some such hous- ing in the future but accommodations specific. to single parents attending university is in dire need. The need for safe, subsidized housing cannot be ig- nored and representative groups must spearhead a discussion of those needs. One such group (see petition below) is. already moving forward. Having rec- ognized that the demand for student housing will only increase, the Mature Students Society of Canada (MSSoC) has embarked on a mission to promote awareness and obtain support for better housing. Petcy Taker, an executive with MSSoC explained that action is re- quired now; that lack of housing options presents another barrier to education and that students are subsisting below the poverty level because of it. Further, Taker says that MSSoC will make an ef- fort to keep the student body informed in a timely fashion, of the progress being made. Whatever your take on this issue and surely you must have an opinion, make ‘yourself heard. Will it be paradise or paradox? For more information and to view a copy of the plan, visit www.city.pg.bc. ca/city_services/Irp/universityheights/. NaNo WriMo?! Write On, You Crazy Diamond PATRICIA A. SANCHEZ CONTRIBUTER Everyday there must be thousands of people who say something along the lines of, “One day I'll write a novel about this.’ NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, gives everyone whos ever said that the chance to actually do it. This event is just as crazy as the name. The goal is to write a 175 page (or 50,000 words) novel in one month, the month of November to be precise. What better timing could they have? Novem- ber is the first cold month and it’s in be- tween midterms and final exams, so it's easier for one to write a lot when they need to. The rules are simple. You can’t write the same word 50 000 times, you must start from scratch November Ist, al- though outlines and notes can be start- ed in advance and are even encouraged, | . and it must all be done by the stroke of midnight that signals the beginning of December Ist. The writing is not to be taken too seriously. One person will write one novel. It’s that simple, Most people want to write a novel at one point in their life, For the majority of these people it won't happen, so why not give it a shot? Thousands of people do it. “The goal is to write a 175 page (or 50,000 words) novel in one month, the month of November to be precise.” Although this crazy endeavour started off with 21 very single and bored young adults drinking loads of caffeine, it has grown to be an international phenom- enon | that, brings together tens of thou- sands of people to write novels together. Not only does this provide a chance to reach a usually unattainable goal, but this group also donates 50% of their earnings to Room to Read, an organ- ization that builds libraries for children living in communities that can't afford them. This year the libraries are sched- uled to be built in Vietnam. Still think it’s crazy? In the seven years it's been running, NaNoWriMo has had 22,104 winners! That's over 1,105,200,000 words! If you're curious for more, feel free to check out their website (http://www.. nanowrimo.org), Dont delay because they start at midnight on the Ist-- and that’s right around the corner! But don't worry if you dont register right away; you can register up to the 30th of Nov- ember. If you choose to do it: Good Luck! And have fun! France's Big Mistake? JOSEPH JEFFERY STAFF WRITER In what Turkey is calling a “serious blow” to the two countries’ relations, the French Parliament has approved of a bill which would make it illegal to say that Turkey did not commit genocide in 1915. It will be a historic moment if the senate and the president pass the bill, making it the first time a country has enshrined a point of view on genocide in law. The event the bill refers to is the ex- pansion of the Ottoman Empire, during which time France claims the Ottoman Turks conducted a systematic slaughter of 1.5 million Armenian people. Tur- key has long since denied the charge of genocide admitting that many died during World War I, but that it was not genocide, France has also been using this point of view to deny Turkey entry into the European Union (EU) until they admit to the genocide, They have received $up-- port from many countries that do not want a principally Muslim country to join the EU. UNBC and Prince George Host National Rural Health Conference DYLAN WELLS STAFF WRITER UNBEC and Prince George hosted an annual rural health conference at the Civic Center from October 19-21. Approximately 200 representatives of various health agencies, community service groups, research and government agencies were on hand to give and attend over 100 presentations on topics ranging from rural health care access and aborig- inal health services to preparing health practitioners for rural practice. The conference was put on by the Canadian Rural Health Research So- ciety and was one of the largest rural health conferences to ever be held in Northern BC. “ UNBC Professor of ‘Nursing, Di. ‘Martha MacLeod said, “Connecting research to improving the day-to-day practice of heath care delivery is a top priority for the people attending this conference: The presentations will present re- search on key health and safety issues affecting rural Canadians along with effective strategies to recruit and retain nurses and physicians in rural areas. We'll also be examining the results of health programs that were developed by health agencies, agricultural producers, and communities across Canada. The seventh annual National Rural Health Conference is sponsored by the British Columbia Environmental and Occupational Health Research Net- work and Northern Health.. Presenta- tions will include “Battling the Bugs: Confronting the Microbial Menace” by UBC professor Brett Finlay, director of the SARS Accelerated Waccine Initia- . tive, and “Culture, Clan Systems and Colonialism: Impacts on Today's Health and Social Issues’ by Carrier Sekani Family Services. . Be sure to check out the next issue of Over the Edge for details about the- conference. Useful Tips From Professors Ken Wilkening Tips for your first trip to Japan Professors are smarter than you think. Sure, they have degrees and read lots of books, but they also have a few hidden talents you might not know about. In these feature, we find these talents and share them with you, thus doing our part to bring about world peace. This month: International Seadies professor Ken Wilkening teaches you how to prepare for yout first trip to Japan. 1. Dont expect large portions of food. Expect dinky portions elegantly pre- sented. As one Japanese saying goes: You eat with your eyes, not your mouth. 2. Don't panic at the number of people. The Japanese don't blink at high dens- ities (people, cars, houses, etc.) Canada’s low densities very often make Japanese feel sad and lonely. 3. Don't be an elephant in a glass shop or a howling wolf in a meditation hall. Talk quietly and act gently. The Japanese value silence and restrained move- ments, 4, Look and listen before opening your mouth and asking questions. You will “UR apG ak eas oad pees Taree kets andes nh inesmacsipaee Seoul having to say a word, 5, Keep your eyes peeled for samurai and geisha, They dont exist anymore, but are everywhere! Ken Wilkening lived in Japan Beaters id pt ue de ey yea. His first trip to Japan lasted five yeats. He doesn't believe in short visits.